Starbucks launches olive oil coffee in Italy - and it's coming to the UK next

Starbucks is launching olive oil-infused drinks in its 20 Italian stores, with plans to bring the range to the UK later this year. The new drinks range, called Oleato, includes a latte, cold brew and the “Oleato deconstructed”, which pairs espresso with olive oil “infused with a luxurious passionfruit cold foam”. The idea behind the drinks range came from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who said he adopted the Italian custom of taking a daily spoonful of olive oil while travelling in Sicily last year, before adding the oil to his coffee and enjoying the “unexpected, velvety, buttery flavour that enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate”. Schultz believes that the new range is an opportunity to demonstrate the craft and heritage of what Starbucks can do.

The drinks will first be available in Starbucks stores in Italy. The range will then appear in Southern California in the spring, with the UK, Japan and the Middle East seeing the range on the menu later this year. Starbucks first opened a branch in Italy in 2018, causing public outrage, and also prompting calls for a boycott. Protesters set fire to palm trees planted by Starbucks in Milan.

A significant market challenge in Italy has been pizza chain Domino’s, which pulled out of the country after failing to win over Italians’ love of traditional pizza. It had planned to open hundreds of stores in the country by 2030, counting on its delivery model to boost popularity, but when the pandemic forced traditional pizzerias to deliver, it lost its edge. Starbucks may find that Italian consumers also reject its coffee, which is already viewed as expensive and far removed from what Italians believe real coffee should taste like. The traditional Italian way of drinking coffee is one of the shortest and cheapest in the world, featuring small, strong shots of espresso served quickly in cups or glasses. It is possible that olive oil-infused drinks, or any other Starbucks specialty, will not appeal to those who expect coffee to taste strong without the need of syrups, whipped cream or flavoured foams.

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